The usual culinary suspects are in plentiful supply on the menu, including tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and tortas. Guacamole is prepared at your table.

There’s also a little bar that seats about nine people. Not that you’ll be able to count them after trying the 37 premium tequilas.

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant. Why is agave blue? It probably visited the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s.

The official Tequila Taqueria Web site says, “Feed your inner revolución!” This Las Vegas blog is no food critic, but we’re fairly confident a Mexican restaurant shouldn’t promote its food as feeding an “inner revolution.” Just saying.

Buca Cafe Italiano takes over the former Bally’s Sidewalk Cafe. Buca di Beppo is a popular chain of restaurants across the country, known as much for its quantity as its quality.

Buca Cafe Italiano has made some adjustments in its partnership with Bally’s, a hotel in the Caesars Entertainment family.

“Buca” literally means “hole.” So, now we’re really confused.

Fans of Buca di Beppo will feel right at home with the decor of the Bally’s outpost, with plentiful photos and a “Pope Room.”

This is the Pope’s table, but he hardly ever uses it.

Easily the best thing about Buca Cafe Italiano is its great buffet value. While Bally’s has long had its pricey Sterling Brunch (previously at Bally’s Steakhouse, now at BLT Steak), it’s been lacking a buffet for those unwilling to fork over $90 per person.

While the buffet Buca Cafe Italiano isn’t expansive, it’s filling and delicious, especially if your favorite station at a buffet is the carving station.

Not the biggest in town, but it’ll more than get the job done. Ditto this blog, if you know what we’re saying.

The buffet is a reasonable $19.99 ($18.99 with a Total Rewards players card). When we heard the price, we asked the manager, “For that price, is it an all-you-can-eat buffet?” He seemed to enjoy that. It is Vegas, after all.

The star of this buffet is the hand-carved beef, turkey and pork.

There’s pretty much one or two of everything else, including salads, soups, rolls, veggies, potatoes and desserts. Again, not a huge selection, but on The Strip, $20 is a great deal and we’d do it again in a second.

Our only question: Why no pizza at the buffet? It’s Buffet 101. Fill up guests on bread, salad, pasta and pizza and your meat costs go down. Help us help you, Buca Cafe Italiano. Pizza.

Tease.

Also worth a mention: Another accommodation Buca made for its Bally’s location is that it serves breakfast, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Check out more photos from these new offerings at Bally’s in the photo gallery below.

Oh, and while we’re at Bally’s a couple of random items.

First, if you know Bally’s, you are probably familiar with Jarrod’s Party Pit. There’s a sign for it. Well, there’s no actual Jerrod anymore. He’s moved on and now works at Planet Hollywood according to the folks in his namesake pit.

Is it still a party pit if the host leaves the party?

Second, Bally’s is getting a CVS. (In Las Vegas, it’s the law.) What’s remarkable about it is a sign for the new CVS now runs the entire width of the resort on Las Vegas Boulevard and obscures much of the aforementioned Grand Bazaar Shops. Which, on second thought, isn’t the worst outcome.

There are probably worse things than a Las Vegas casino bar closing, but we can’t personally imagine what those things would be.

Thankfully, the closing of Center Bar at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is temporary. On June 28, 2015, the popular bar had its last call until it reopens as part of a larger casino remodel, probably around Labor Day.

Center Bar at Hard Rock opened in 1995 and, from what we hear, inspired other casinos to also have bars.

Hard Rock tried to make the most of Center Bar’s closing, including encouraging guests to sign walls and floors, which will soon be torn out and discarded, of course. Vegas logic, baby!

In Las Vegas, we don’t question why! Las Vegas isn’t about questions. It’s about getting into the spirit of things because the PR department said so.

The closure of Center Bar leaves us with an obvious question: Where do we drink at Hard Rock now?

Fret not! (See what we did there? It’s the Hard Rock. Please keep up.) Here’s a quick look at the bar scene at Hard Rock while Center Bar slips into something less sticky.

The obvious choice for a drinking destination at Hard Rock is the Luxe Bar. The official Hard Rock Web site entices guests to Luxe Bar this way, “Master and servant, anyone?”

Oppression-friendly marketing copy aside, Luxe Bar is actually a welcoming bar and will be the hotel’s 24-hour bar now that Center Bar has closed.

Luxe Bar is also described as “a dimly lit rock enclave that feels like foreplay.” Don’t love your drinks unattended, ladies! We are not cleaning that up.

Another convenient option is Midway Bar.

Along with the hooch, Midway Bar is equipped with 22 video poker machines.

Another watering hole option at Hard Rock is the Side Bet Bar at the hotel’s Race & Sports Book.

The Side Bet Bar has everything you’re looking for in a hotel bar, except the absence of sports.

So, while it’s hard to say “goodbye” to a reliable old friend like Center Bar, there are plenty of places at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas to drown your sorrows.

We should mention one of those places to drink, and be seen drunk, is closing soon, too. Body English, the Hard Rock’s nightclub is closing July 3, 2015. Thanks to our friends at Vegas Chatter, the second-best blog in Las Vegas for the tip.

SLS Las Vegas is struggling to find a winning formula in its challenging location. Recent reports say the hotel-casino, formerly the Sahara, lost $35 million in the first quarter of 2015. Or, in the parlance of casino finance, “a metric ass-ton.”

SLS Las Vegas netted a mere $3 million per month from its casino during the first quarter of 2015. Awkward.

But, honestly, whether a new casino is making or losing money has zero effect on whether or not we have a good time there. SLS Las Vegas is one of our favorite places to play and dine on The Strip-ish. Let the bean-counters count beans, we’re there to eat, drink, gamble and possibly drink again.

Does this puffy, one-eyed astronaut seem concerned about finances? Of course not.

There are lots of interesting things happening at SLS Las Vegas, good and bad, so let’s dive in. We’ll do the rumor first, because we know how you are.

1. Life Nightclub is Closing

According to SLS staffers, Life Nightclub is closing after the July 4 weekend. The rumor we first reported June 23, 2015 (thanks to a very helpful security guard and some folks at the hotel’s loyalty club desk) has been confirmed.

Not great news for the hotel, but truly great news for ear drums.

Now that Life Nightclub is shutting down, SLS Las Vegas will shift its nightlife focus to Foxtail.

Life Nightclub was an ambitious effort, comparable to other large nightclubs on The Strip, and it simply wasn’t sustainable. Life is expected to open for one-off and special events.

If the north end of The Strip comes back to life, so to speak, we suspect Life will re-open and take another stab at the potentially lucrative oontz business.

2. Foxtail Has Summer Concerts

Speaking of Foxtail, the venue has a series of concerts in store. A highlight is Sir Mix-a-Lot on July 18, 2015. Tickets are $20. Go here for the full schedule.

Foxtail’s a little bit inside and a little bit outside. Like feelings.

3. Shuttle Service is Coming

SLS Las Vegas is starting a free shuttle service for hotel guests and Legend tier loyalty club members that will run from the airport to Miracle Mile Shops and SLS, and back again. The shuttle service will run 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The new service begins in a week or two.

We’re thinking the shuttles will drop off at the valet entrance. Actually finding out would’ve involved “research” or “inquiring” and who has time for that?

4. Loyalty Club Revamp

The SLS Las Vegas player loyalty club, The Code, has been revamped as SLS gets serious about its casino. The loyalty program has changed over to the tried-and-true tier system, with players getting more perks the more they play.

The tiers are Select, Premium, Elite and Legend. Apparently, it’s not rough to get Premium status because that’s the card we got and we’re no whale. Find out more about The Code from our friends at Vegas Chatter, the second best blog in Las Vegas.

We love players club tiers because it gives us the opportunity to feel better than other people.

5. There’s a New V.P. of Hotel Sales

Not the most glamorous news, but it’s clear SLS Las Vegas is eyeballing its bottom line and making a serious play to get more hotel occupancy. The new V.P. of Hotel Sales is Mike Pramshafer, who we hear nothing but good things about. He formerly worked for Westin Lake Las Vegas, the Stratosphere and Tropicana, among others. Here’s his LinkedIn thingy.

What, we have to have a relevant photo for every news item?

6. Sayers Club Has a Party Pit

“When all else fails, throw a pretty girl at it,” is the motto of Las Vegas, and SLS has taken that adage to heart by adding a Sayers Club-themed party pit to its casino floor. Nothing too fancy, but there are tables with Sayers-inspired felt and a platform for go-go dancers. The party pit operates Friday and Saturday, 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.

The party pit wasn’t open during our visit, or there would’ve been substantially more booty.

7. Sayers Club is Getting Comedy

Didn’t see that one coming. Robin Leach is reporting Bonkerz Comedy Club, formerly at every other Las Vegas hotel (including The Plaza, Palace Station and Rampart Casino in Summerlin), will be setting up shop inside Sayers Club starting July 2, 2015. Odd, but SLS seems serious about providing additional reasons to visit.

Yes, the Bonkerz Comedy Club. Fingers crossed they don’t change the name to Sayerz Club.

8. The Fred Segal Jewels Shop Has Closed

The hidden sex shop at SLS was a little too hidden, and closed a couple of months ago. (The space served as a pop-up store during Electric Daisy Carnival.) Now, the Fred Segal jewelry shop is following suit. This shop was adjacent to the hotel’s registration desk and will soon be converted into a concierge lounge.

Don’t have a freak-out, shopaholics. There are around six other Segal shops at SLS Las Vegas.

9. Center Bar Lounge is Sticking Around

The casino’s Center Bar grew an appendage in honor of the Rock in Rio USA music festival. The temporary lounge now appears to be permanent, with comfy couches and chairs. It’s an interesting addition to the casino floor, but we’ll have to see if it lasts given the casino’s relatively small footprint. In casinoland, every square foot is evaluated for profitability.

A perfect spot to watch the giant 3-D duck. Wait for it.

10. Center Bar Has Giant 3-D Duck

We’re big fans of the video screen over the Center Bar at SLS Las Vegas. The hotel has rolled out a number of 3-D video segments, including a very popular 3-D human face and pair of legs. Most recently, a new 3-D duck has dropped in on guests. Check it out.

Management is shaking things up with new promotions for gamblers, additional amenities for hotel guests and, some day, they might even consider lowering their drink prices. (Thirteen bucks for a Captain and diet keeps us from visiting more frequently. There’s a $5 happy hour for locals, but the discount doesn’t apply to our beloved call liquor, because WTF.)

Everyone’s hoping SLS can find its mojo to avoid going under, or in a more likely scenario, get sold off like a used treadmill in a garage sale. A treadmill it took $415 million to renovate, that is.

However, those aren’t the hooters we’re talking about. We’re talking about Hooters. The “breastaurant” empire. What will eventually be the world’s largest Hooters has opened its first phase at Palms Las Vegas.

Let the Hooters trivia begin! The Hooters name was inspired by a Steve Martin monologue on “Saturday Night Live.” No, really.

For now, the Hooters at Palms features a good-sized dining area inside, with a focus on a poolside patio and bar.

When the entire restaurant opens, it’ll be a zaftig 15,200-square-feet and will seat 500 people. Below is what’s on view inside the Palms (where our significant other works, by the way).

The new restaurant takes over space formerly occupied by Heraea restaurant, a name with far too many vowels for its own good.

We’re happy to report the Hooters uniform has been refined a bit since our last visit to the chain famous for its wings and winsome servers.

Gone are the silky, shiny shorts. Hooters executives finally caved after our years of whining.

The young women we chatted up, purely for blog research purposes, of course, were friendly and helpful. They emphasized the restaurant is currently in a “soft opening” mode. Which we immediately didn’t make a joke about because we’re mature like that.

The owl in the company’s logo is named Hootie. And, yes, we’re aware we may know far, far too much Hooters trivia.

A news release says Hooters at Palms will have “fresh entree salads, a great lineup of hand-formed burgers, fan-favorite fried pickles and delicious seafood dishes, as well as an impressive raw bar.”

It will also feature “signature sauces and rubs.” We inquired with several servers about the “signature rubs,” and look forward to learning more about these “restraining orders” we learned about during our visit.

Everything is ruined.

When fully decked-out, the new Hooters will also have about 50 televisions. (In Las Vegas, it’s the law.)

Hooters describes itself as “delightfully tacky yet unrefined.” We didn’t see any of that on the day we visited, but it could be part of phase two.

The three biggest Hooters are in Singapore, Tokyo, and São Paulo. Enjoy the distinction while you can, suckers. Everything’s bigger in Vegas, and we’re bringing the title of world’s biggest Hooters back to America!

The biggest challenge of a poolside Hooters has to be deciding which direction your chair should face, oglewise.

One final bit of Hooters trivia. Hooters, Inc. was incorporated on April 1, 1983. The founders of the company picked that date because they assumed their business venture would go bust.

No word yet on when the Hooters at Palms will open in its entirety, but this blog doesn’t have a problem with a little tease. It’s Vegas, after all.

Recently, the chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, Jim Murren, did an extensive interview about the company’s plans for the Las Vegas Strip.

Murren talked about all the new restaurants, retail outlets and the $375 million MGM-AEG sports arena (update photos, below) in the works, but chose not to mention a major project nobody at MGM Resorts has talked about publicly. Yet.

We have a bunch of arena update photos, and we’re sure-as-hell sharing them, so buckle up.

Word has it the company will follow up the splash of hits massive new sports arena with a 5,300-seat theater that could go head-to-head with the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Axis at Planet Hollywood.

By comparison, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace seats about 4,300. Axis at Planet Hollywood has a capacity of 7,000.

The MGM-AEG arena will seat 20,000 and is likely to house the first pro sports team in Las Vegas, an NHL franchise.

The as-yet-unannounced venue is expected to open up to a year after the arena does, but it’s Las Vegas and things can move surprisingly quickly.

Details like the cost and exact location of the new venue are elusive at this point, but some have suggested the theater could expand upon the existing Monte Carlo theater where Blue Man Group performs, which currently seats about 1,200.

Update (June 26, 2015): Since our initial report, paperwork has been filed stating the Blue Man Group theater will, in fact, be demolished to make way for the new concert hall. Our friends at Eater Vegas got their hands on the goods, and at the moment the new venue is being called the MCR Concert Hall. Since that appears to stand for “Monte Carlo Resort,” that name is bound to change once the name of the hotel does.

We’ve heard Blue Man Group won’t be at Monte Carlo once the hotel’s rebranding (which we first reported back in February and all but confirmed by Mr. Murren) happens (including a new name), so that could add credence to the theory the Monte Carlo’s theater could play a part in the new concert venue. Update: Following our story about the new theater venue, it’s being confirmed Blue Man Group will move to Luxor in August 2015, displacing Jabbawockeez, who will move to Beacher’s Madhouse at MGM Grand.

Connecting Las Vegas Boulevard and the stadium will be The Park, a retail and dining district. This new art is part of that.

Which brings us to Duran Duran or as we like to call it, “The Greatest Band in the World.”

Here’s a better look at The Park, including a new building in the foreground that sprang up virtually overnight.

Duran Duran is playing an upcoming music festival, Life is Beautiful. As part of the promotion of the band’s appearance, bassist John Taylor said the following in an interview.

“I love these residencies, like the show that Elton [John] does. Rod [Stewart] has done it, and one day I really hope we get to do that. The trick is to have them build the room around you. I love the idea of settling down into a venue for an extended stay, where you can really experiment with the performance. We’ll see.”

A Duran Duran residency in Las Vegas could mean our worlds are colliding in the best way possible.

Here’s the thing. MGM Resorts is going to need a killer act to be its first residency at its new concert venue. Duran Duran is looking for a residency, but would like somebody a build a room around them, a la Celine’s humidity-controlled theater at Caesars.

Making this an even better (and potentially profitable) fit, unlike the Celines and Britneys and Mariahs, Duran Duran is still cranking out great, relevant music. They also put on amazing live shows, as opposed to the lip-syncing used so extensively by the aforementioned “divas.”

This new building is part of The Park between New York-New York and Monte Carlo.

We’d like to formally offer our services in the form of making an introduction between Duran Duran and MGM Resorts to facilitate a long-term residency by the aforementioned Duran Duran in MGM Resorts’ as-yet-unnamed new concert venue.

Because if such a residency happened, this Las Vegas blog would have lived a life worth living.

Since the new theater is some time off, we’ll occupy our time looking at photos of the new arena and Park set to transform this whole area on the Las Vegas Strip.

There’s still a lot to be done, but things can move quite quickly in Las Vegas, the city that invented the phrase “Time is money.” Probably.

It’s an exciting time for Las Vegas, especially if you’re into newness, sports, bars and restaurants or, we hope, Duran Duran.

Just when we feared the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens was falling into a rut, the free Las Vegas attraction has pulled out all the stops with a new “Under the Sea”-themed summer display. Feast your eyeballs on this!

Las Vegas remains the world’s largest producer of awestruck in the world.

If you visit the Bellagio Conservatory on a regular basis, you start to see patterns (repetition) in the seasonal displays, so we were pleased to see an entirely new display unveiled for the summer of 2015.

The new display features a mermaid, sunken ship, a 26-foot tall coral reef, multiple water features and a variety of vividly-colored sea life, including massive jelly fish and seahorses.

The coral reef is 26 feet tall and 35 feet long. But this isn’t time for measuring things, it’s a time for being agog.

This is the first time the Bellagio’s Conservatory has plumbed the depths of the ocean for inspiration.

Our first visit to the new summer display was during the day, and while impressive, the true magic of this new motif happens at night. We recommend making two visits. During the day, you can get a good look at the attention to detail. During the evening, your inner child will take over and you’ll be transported into the undersea world populated by Nemo and Ariel and Bambi, had Bambi ever shown the ambition to be scuba certified.

Among the highlights of the display is a sea turtle fashioned from red carnations and yellow Fuji mums.

In keeping with a recent trend to include more marketing aspects in the Conservatory’s displays, there’s also a sandcastle replica of Bellagio.

Hey, somebody has to pay for all this whimsy.

Another stand-out aspect of the summer display is a mermaid with 1,500 fresh-cut flowers in her tail. Yes, we counted.

Insert your favorite “getting tail in Las Vegas” joke here.

The artist who fashioned the mermaid’s face is named Ruel G. James, and he used a Las Vegas model for inspiration, a friend of ours, Tarra Scarff Proctor. Tarra would hate it if we included a photo of her here. So, we’re definitely doing it.

If Tarra looks familiar, you may have bumped to her at Flamingo Las Vegas where she promoted shows to work her way through nursing school. Exclusive!

The mermaid has some impressive touches, like her hair, made from hundreds of seashells.

No clams or scollops were harmed during the making of the mermaid’s hair.

Bellagio’s summer display also has a 35-foot-long sunken fishing boat made of teak, mahogany and cedar wood. It’s difficult to see the whole boat from ground level, so we fired up our drone.

Actually, we put our camera on a monopod, but that doesn’t sound nearly as cool as “we fired up our drone.”

There’s also a larger-than-life treasure chest that would make the “The Goonies” proud. Related: How the hell is that movie 30 years old?

While a popular myth, only one pirate is known to have actually buried treasure, William Kidd.

As with all displays at Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, flowers play a big part in the overall wow factor.

The summer display will feature 6,000 flowers per week, or 80,000 for the duration of the exhibit.

Botanical experts are available in the Conservatory each morning, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to answer questions from guests. Yes, even the annoying ones.

In addition to the flowers, the attraction also boasts 600 shrubs. That’s a lot of shrubs. Sadly, shrubs don’t get nearly the attention or glory the flowers do. Shrubs are like the Jan Brady of the Bellagio Conservatory. “Fuji mums, Fuji mums, Fuji mums,” the shrubs exclaim.

You’re definitely not looking at the shrubs. This animated clam is five feet tall and six feet long and opens up every seven minutes. Note: The Animated Clams would make a great band name.

This latest Bellagio Conservatory installment is a captivating reminder of just how lavish, creative and ingenious these exhibits can be.

The hanging jellyfish are 20 feet in diameter. Definitely a nighttime thing.

Thankfully, the Bellagio understands there’s a benefit to providing unforgettable, free things to do on The Strip. Given ongoing belt-tightening at Las Vegas casinos, we’ve worried the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens would be sent to Davy Jones’ Locker. Hang in there Bellagio!

So, catch this new Bellagio Conservatory display while you can!

And don’t miss the animated fishies.

The family-friendly “Under the Sea” display at the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is free, open to the public and runs through Sep. 12, 2015.

Enjoy a virtual tsunami of photos, several of which are even in focus, in our exclusive photo gallery.

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